The Next Adventure

by A.J. Parker94

Ellie Barron had a plan: to live a quiet life when she moved to Jasper with her grandmother, go through high school with no trouble, and maybe make some friends along the way. Even with a prosthetic leg, that shouldn't be hard. But what she didn't plan on was discovering an alien race living among her in the throes of war. Turns out life had other plans that barely involve "quiet."

10. Communication Is Key

CHAPTER SUMMARY: Get in, losers. We're doing science.

Oh, and we're gonna talk about our feelings! *jazz hands*

Wait, where are you going? Get back here!

CHAPTER NOTES: *checks total word count, then buries my face in my hands tiredly*

This was supposed to just be a cute, fun little chapter I swear. I don't know why I keep doing this to myself.

Anyway, who's ready to start seeing parts of this story from a certain point of view?

Disclaimer: Transformers is owned by Hasbro. All OCs belong to me.

Enjoy!

---

Dear Gene,

It's been almost a month now since we moved to Nevada, and after that crazy first week, you'd think it'd be like that all the time now. Just nonstop action and excitement. But honestly? After everything that happened, it's been…weirdly quiet.

Well, "quiet" is a generous word to use. Not when you've got friends like Miko and her 'Bot buddy. The day that girl introduced Bulk to her favorite heavy metal bands was the day it was all over. The times when I have to carpool with them are times when I never know peace.

No, things around here have been…tame.

Ever since the bridge explosion, and the Big Bad going out with it, things have mellowed significantly. I think with their leader gone, the 'Cons are pretty much running around in circles, just waiting for someone to give them orders or something like that. Kind of like that one time you and I found a hoard of rats under that old house at Denmore Hill, and they all scattered the second the biggest one bailed on them.

That's fine with me, though. The less we have to deal with them, the better.

Since then, I've fallen into a pretty standard routine—with a couple of twists, of course. On the weekdays, Optimus would drive me to school, and then take me to base afterwards where I do my homework or any chore that needs done (we all set up a system of tasks to do around base to keep things orderly; more hands make less work after all), or just hang around. The weekends are spent mostly hanging out at base too, but sometimes I'll find myself doing other stuff, depending on who's around—whether it's watching Jack help Arcee run a routine diagnostic, trying not to get whiplash from getting roped into dune bashing with Miko and Bulk, or having Raf show me his new cars and favorite video games while Bee and I learn sign language together.

Those lessons are coming along great, by the way. It's a slow process, but so far we're getting the basic convos down.

Occasionally, whenever I'm feeling brave enough, I'll see what Ratchet's up to. It's a gamble between getting snapped at to leave him alone and getting a reluctant explanation. Rarely our encounters are close to what some might call pleasant, though. Again, slow process. Really slow.

Yeah, things have been pretty normal around here lately.

Well, except for maybe one thing, but I'm not entirely sure if that's good or bad.

It's Optimus.

There's something different about him now. I noticed it shortly after he returned from the bridge. But I can't exactly use the word "quiet" for him here either. He's a generally quiet person already. Which isn't bad! I'm last the person to think that as bad, actually. Out of everyone at base, he's the one person I can go to for some peace. He has a calm presence that's hard to describe. On the occasions where he takes me along on patrol, we don't talk that much; the most animated our conversations get are either when I tell him about the book I'm currently reading, or when we discuss some of the differences—and sometimes similarities—between our kind (I'm getting the hang of knowing their terminologies from ours too, by the way).

No. Optimus seems more…distracted now. Distant. And I may be wrong, but there have even been a couple of times I caught him staring ahead at nothing, looking sad. Well, sad for him.

I may not know all about their kind, but as someone who's spent a lot of time stuck inside her own head, I know what the signs look like. Something is definitely eating away at him. I might have some idea of what it is, but…I don't want to ask him if it's troubling him this much. This may be a shock to you, but he and the others have been around for a long time—like, a really long time. I doubt he'd want to hear anything about it from me. Just some kid he has to look after.

He'd be better off talking to one of the others, if it ever gets down to that.

In the meantime, I'll just leave him alone.

Besides, I've been keeping busy myself with my schoolwork—specifically, my project for the science fair at school. It starts tomorrow, and Jack, Miko, Raf, and I are putting together our finishing touches at base today.

Which couldn't be more perfect. My project has finally given me an excuse to go to the one area of the base I've always wanted to check out. You'd be so jealous.

I can hear Bee pulling up to the driveway. I better get going if I don't want to lose anymore daylight. Later!

Sincerely,

Ellie

---

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Raf?" Ellie asked for the umpteenth time, and with no small amount of apprehension, as she watched him and Bumblebee set up their unusually big volcano at base. "It's not too late to go back to just the vinegar and baking soda. We all get the concept of volcanic eruption without, you know, actual volcanic eruption."

"Yeah, but that's been done before," Raf replied. He smiled at her with an excited glint in his eyes as he got out the extra stack of newspaper he brought in case he needed another layer added. "I want to do something different with it."

"Uh huh." Ellie eyed the volcano with unease. The thing stood at about her height while sitting on top of the crate. It needed to be such a size in order to fit all the pyrotechnics Raf had somehow gotten his hands on in order to make his project more accurate to that of a real volcano.

It was an interesting twist on the most commonly done science fair project; she had to give him that. However, it was the potential for the volcano to go erratic and cause a fire that was the real cause for concern.

"Just make sure to keep a bucket of water or the fire extinguisher nearby in case something goes wrong, okay?" she urged him.

Bumblebee buzzed, directing her attention towards him. Carefully, he signed to her with hesitant hands—no, not hands, servos—that roughly translated to, "Don't worry. I'll make sure it's safe."

Ellie sighed, then held a hand up into a fist in front of her before flicking her index finger up—"I understand."

"Okay," she said aloud. "I'll leave you guys to it, then. I'll be up top if you need me."

"Okay! Good luck!"

Bumblebee beeped an affirmative.

Ellie grabbed the handle of her wagon, which carried her own project under a thin, protective sheet, and headed toward the elevator. Before she stepped in, she took a moment to peer back at how the other two kids and their guardians were faring. Miko at least had the sense to do something much less extreme; she was doing a model of their solar system. The only thing that set it apart from your standard model was that Miko was including the asteroid belt by attaching little bits of gravel she's been scavenging for days. She was also going to coat the planets entirely with glitter once she was finished painting them.

"Because you can never have too much glitter! And it'll look like the stars are reflecting off them!" Miko had reasoned.

Ellie couldn't argue with that. It was simple, but artistic and creative. Perfect for someone like Miko.

Jack and Arcee, on the other hand? Jack was building a motorcycle engine, from scratch. It wasn't a very common project either, and it was definitely inventive and educational from an engineering standpoint.

But Ellie couldn't help but wonder…would Arcee see it as the equivalent of—well, a human putting together a human body? Just another form of necromancy?

Mary Shelley would either be proud, or try to sue if she were alive today.

Arcee must not have seen it that way, though. In fact, she seemed to actually be enjoying herself as she helped Jack set up shop in their own corner of the main area, eyeing the engine parts with interest.

Ellie smiled a little at the sight. It seemed like the more time Arcee has been spending with Jack, the more at ease she was becoming. It was a nice change from how cynical and stand-offish she was when they first met, and Ellie was happy for her, and Jack as well.

Then, just out of slight curiosity, Ellie peered over toward the central bay, where Ratchet was hard at work, trying to detect any unusual activity around the planet. He hardly even looked up when the others had arrived; Ellie doubted he even noticed them.

Optimus wasn't at base. That was the first thing Ellie had noticed when she arrived. Her smile faded at the thought. He must've been out on a drive by himself, out on patrol for any signs of Decepticon activity. He's been doing that a lot lately, which was why Ellie sometimes found herself riding with either Bumblebee or Bulkhead, depending on who was available.

That was probably for the best. Based on the many times Ellie has seen him with that faraway, somber disposition, he must've needed the alone time.

Still, that didn't quite stop her heart from clenching a little.

She shook her head, hoping to clear away the plaguing thoughts, before she entered the elevator and activated it. She had other things to focus on at the moment.

She felt the elevator carry her straight up. It eventually stopped, followed by a ding, and the door split apart, revealing the surface of the mesa, otherwise known as the roof of the base. Ellie stepped out into the open, and was immediately in awe. She knew that the mesa was massive, but to stand on top of it and see for herself…it was breathtaking. The desert land spread out below her as far as the eye could see. If she squinted in the direction the lonely road stretched along, she could even see the outline of Jasper in the far distance.

It was a beautiful view, and the air was so clear and fresh that high up. And it was all hers. Why did she put off coming up top until now?

"It's so quiet and peaceful," she said contentedly, closing her eyes. "A person can really be alone with their thoughts up here."

Did you forget to leave Gran the spare key? Are all the doors unlocked? Will you finish your work in time? Will it be good enough? Will YOU be good enough?! ARE YOU INADEQUATE?!

She reopened her eyes, shaking her head with a disgruntled noise. "Well, that spiraled fast."

She took a quick look around at the surface to see what was there. There wasn't anything much to it other than the man-made platform and elevator. Far over on the other side of the plateau was a steep incline that that ran up about fifty feet, and there appeared to be a shadowy indentation on it, but when she squinted at it, she found that it was actually a broad, shallow cave.

Ellie hummed thoughtfully; that could be good for shelter from harsh weather, or a decent hiding spot if it came to that. Part of her wanted to run over and explore it—see what was inside—but she didn't want to get off track from the real reason she was on the roof.

Turning back, she delicately removed the sheet, revealing her project. On the wagon were three large pots of orange-red primroses that she had planted weeks ago, each in different mixtures of soil—one of them was a generic brand you'd buy at your regular gardening center at the supermarket, the other two she had concocted herself differently—and were labeled as such. Along with her plants was a spray bottle of water to keep the soil moist and hydrated, a ruler to measure the flowers' height, a stack of textbooks she had borrowed from the library, and her logbook filled with recordings of her plants' progress—with brightly colored post-it notes bearing hastily added afterthoughts sticking out of several of the pages.

She took a moment to check over the plants, inspecting a leaf between her thumb and index finger delicately. It had been a hassle trying to move them from her backyard to the silo; one of the stray animals that had been frequenting her home for some time—the mix-breed dog, to be specific—thought it'd be a good idea to cause a ruckus as she was leaving, nearly knocking over and eating her project in the process. Luckily, Ellie was able to get them out of the hyperactive dog's reach before any real damage could be done.

She was basically finished with the experimental part of the project now, though. All she really needed to do was complete her written report.

She walked further along until she was off the concrete floor and onto natural rock. She spread the sheet down and returned to the wagon, about to set up, but then she stopped short, something catching her eye across the way.

It was a tower of rocks—roughly a couple of inches taller than her—placed meticulously together in a precise pile. Sheltered in the center of the pile was what appeared to be a large bull's horn made of metal—displayed just enough for people to see but still well protected from the outside elements.

Ellie's shoulders drooped as she exhaled heavily. She knew a memorial shrine when she saw one.

Setting down the wagon handle, she slowly made her way across the mesa surface, approaching the rock pile, until she stood directly in front of it. She stared blankly at it for a long, quiet moment. Then she smiled and bowed in respect, a hand over her heart.

"Hello," she greeted softly after straightening again. "You must be Cliffjumper. I'm Ellie, one of the Autobots' new human friends. I've heard Arcee mention you a couple of times—all good things, mind. From the sounds of it, you were amazing, and a loyal Autobot to the end. Thank you for protecting my home." She gestured to her equipment behind her. "I hope you don't mind that I use this rooftop to work on my project. I'll try not to disturb you too much."

She was about to head back, but something stopped her. She looked out toward the desert landscape with a conflicted frown, before she faced the monument once again, with a more subdued air.

"From what I understand, you passed on right before I came along. I never met you, but…I'm sorry, for everything. You didn't deserve what happened to you."

No one ever does, and never so soon in life.

She swallowed thickly and took a deep breath before continuing, "I only wish I had the chance to get to know you—if things had gone differently." Then her smile slowly returned. "But I'd like to think we would've been friends, if that's okay. And if nothing else, I hope that your…your spark is at peace somewhere out there." She turned, savoring one last glance at the fallen Autobot's shrine. "I'll leave you alone now."

She returned to her belongings. For a moment, the only sound to reach her ears on this haven high above the Earth was the soft whistle of the desert wind. Gazing out once more at the horizon, she couldn't help but marvel at how serene it was—not just up on top of the mesa, but in this place in general. There were still days where she badly longed to see the ocean again—watch as the multitude of sailboats and ocean liners ventured out into the sea, the coastal birds swooping down into the water and coming back up with fish to eat. Even when there was no one else around, there was always noise to be heard: the large waves crashing into the shore, the trees groaning under the stress of a strong gust of salty wind. And don't even get her started on the lush forests, the dense woods. That was practically her domain, once upon a time.

There were a lot of other things that she longed for, but she's worked too hard not to fall too far down that dark rabbit hole again.

Here in the desert region was a different story, though. Sure, it was warmer, and a lot sandier than she had originally cared for. But save for the occasional howl of the wind, it was significantly calmer. Tranquil.

It was quite refreshing to find that, even after all the things she's seen and the borderline crazy situation that she had become involved with now, there was still room for slow moments like these.

She closed her eyes and sighed as she felt a particularly warm breeze hit her, making her blonde curls brush gently against her face. The sun's rays just barely bled through the clouds in the overcast sky. She almost didn't want to break such a serene silence, but she had work to do. Opening her eyes, she proceeded to set up her equipment, taking solace in working on her ongoing project while she began to hum a familiar tune, with her friends a mere elevator ride away.

This was a good day.

---

With a heavy ex-vent that melded with his revving engines, Optimus Prime rolled into the Autobot base through the access tunnel.

Yet another fruitless patrol, another search for any Decepticon activity that came up empty-handed. One would think that, even with their ruler gone, Starscream would still be attempting to keep his newly acquired faction in the pursuit of power and conquest. There were many words Optimus would use to describe the Decepticon Seeker, but idle was not one of them.

Which was why Optimus knew deep in his spark that it was only a matter of time until the Decepticons would emerge to engage in battle with them again—to disturb the peace that he and his fellow Autobots had unexpectantly found themselves in this past deca-cycle.

Well…perhaps "peace" was a generous way of putting it, at least for him. For the others, on the other hand, they would most likely say so. Compared to millennia of nonstop fighting—of constant war and shed energon—things have become more peaceful, giving the Autobots more time to relax, to not be on such high-alert. Especially now that Megatron was deceased.

If only he could share the same sentiments with his comrades.

Pulling into the central bay area, he transformed into his bipedal form. He gave Ratchet a simple nod in greeting, who returned the gesture, before walking further into the main area. He didn't go very far, though, coming to a halt near the ground bridge—not as if he were going anywhere specific anyway. His optics resting onto the high-powered machinery, his thought processor took him to darker places; the same places he had been trapped in for the past few weeks.

Particularly, it took him to the day they prevented Megatron's army of the undead from conquering Earth, otherwise known as: the last time Optimus had seen his former ally—his brother in arms, even—turned arch nemesis, and would never see again. The final words the Decepticon leader had said to him still echoed through his helm, before he left Megatron to his doomed fate.

"You would have made a fine Decepticon."

Not for the first time, Optimus felt a heavy pang of remorse weighing down on his spark at the memory.

He had long-since made the decision to stand against his once-called brother; the moment Megatron had shown his true colors in wanting to rule Cybertron through fear and oppression. It was a decision that had caused a war that spanned for millennia, cost an entire world to fall to ruin, lost him many of his friends and even loved ones, and forced him and his remaining Autobots to make swift exodus amongst the stars.

And yet, through all of that…there had remained a glimmer of hope that resided in Optimus. The hope that, one day, he might have been able to get through to Megatron, to lead him away from the dark path he had taken long ago. To make him a brother again.

But now Megatron was dead, and with it, the hope that things would be like they were before.

Optimus sighed deeply once more. One would think that after living for as long as he has, seeing what he's seen, the drastic changes the universe often forced one to undergo would become easier to handle. But even he had to admit, the changes were difficult to keep up with at times.

He was then pulled out of his downward spiral by familiar footsteps approaching him from behind. He glanced over his shoulder plating to see the Autobot medic come closer, eyeing him with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"Optimus, why so glum?" Ratchet asked, already coming to his conclusion on Optimus's current mood. "This planet—all planets—are finally free from Megatron's tyranny."

Optimus turned away again, his optics shuttering briefly. Since the space bridge incident, he had been cautious not to let his discontent show in front of the others, but he supposed that it was only a matter of time until someone had noticed. His long-time friend was an observant mech; it was in his practice to notice the goings-on of his patients' well-being, after all.

"I do not disagree Ratchet," Optimus conceded. He paused, reluctant to speak truthfully of the thoughts that have been afflicting him for some time, before deciding to do so in the end, "It's just…a small part of me hoped to change Megatron's mind, not extinguish his spark."

"Optimus," Ratchet said with a vehement tone, "his vileness was not slain by your hand, but by his own twisted arrogance!"

Optimus's expression darkened slightly, merely letting out a deep rumble in response as he looked away. Ratchet's words may have held truth, he knew—by Primus, he knew—but it was the farthest thing from consoling, from quelling these bitter thoughts and feelings that have been haunting him for so long.

Upon seeing the effect of his words, Ratchet cooled down, saying quietly, "I'm sorry. I know the two of you had quite a history."

An understatement, Optimus thought, but he shook his head lightly nonetheless. He couldn't condemn Ratchet for his own feelings on the matter, as was his right. And it wasn't without reason, as he had been through many hardships this war had burdened them with as well—and thus, has only seen the absolute worst aspects of Optimus's former brother.

Which was why Optimus decided to put the matter to rest then and there. Ratchet, as well as the rest of the team, may have been able to sympathize with him, but he doubted that they would wholly understand the complexity of his mixed feelings and inner conflict. It was better that way.

"But the Megatron whom I once fought beside perished eons ago…the day he chose to become a Decepticon," Optimus said gravely. Then, schooling his facial expression, he turned to face Ratchet and spoke in a more firm voice, effectively changing the subject, "The Decepticons may be in disarray, but they aren't without leadership. And while Starscream is no Megatron, he is far from predictable."

Speaking of the unpredictable…

Boom!

An explosion went off from the other side of the main area, small but powerful enough to cause the ground to quake. After recovering in the aftershock, the two Autobots whipped their heads around and found the source: a wall of smoke rising up, along with sparks of flame.

"Decepticons! We're under attack!" Ratchet exclaimed as he and Optimus hurried toward the source of the blast. They approached in time to see the smoke quickly change into steam with a hiss. Through the commotion, they could see Bumblebee pouring the last of a container of water over what appeared to be a brown-colored funnel that was currently sagging under the effects of the explosion, as well as the addition of the water. The Autobot scout had his human charge, Rafael, backed away behind him with his other hand, the young boy coughing from the smoky air.

"Don't worry, Ratchet, it's no attack. It's just my volcano," Rafael managed to say through his coughing. Then his face fell as his supposed volcano completely melted into wet sludge. "Or…it was."

"Ellie totally called it. Sorry, Raf," Bumblebee groaned, his doorwings drooping with disappointment.

Optimus's optical ridges furrowed a little, curious as to what was going on.

"Hold still, Bulkhead! Jupiter needs its red spot!" Miko's voice brought his attention to another corner, where he found the human in question with her guardian. The former wrecker was holding up several brightly colored spheres for Miko, who dipped a brush into one of the many cans of paint at her feet. She reached out to apply the red paint to one of the spheres, but some of it dripped to the floor.

Miko grimaced. "Whoopsie!"

"What. In the Allspark. Is going on in here?!" Ratchet demanded heatedly, his countenance more indignant than curious like Optimus was at the situation—most likely due to still reeling from the explosion earlier.

"Our science fair projects. They're due tomorrow," Jack explained briefly from his own work area, he and Arcee surrounding what appeared to be a cluster of metal that was apparently meant to be something significant.

Arcee picked up one of the metal pieces, offering it hesitantly to Jack. "Maybe it needs one of these doohickeys."

Jack put his hands to his hips and shot Arcee a humorous smirk. "You're a motorcycle, Arcee. Shouldn't you know how to build a motorcycle engine?"

Mimicking the boy's mannerisms, Arcee retorted, "You're a human, Jack. Can you build me a small intestine?"

Jack scoffed good-naturedly. "Touché."

Optimus looked between the three groups with some understanding of the task that they were undertaking, but also with a smidgen of puzzlement. He tried to search his memory banks for when Ellie had mentioned anything to him about a science project for school recently, but came up empty-handed. He wondered why that was, and furthermore, where was she?

But before he could ponder anymore about the whereabouts of his charge, Ratchet spoke up again. The Autobot medic was far from satisfied with the explanation; in fact, he seemed to get even more irritated.

"W-Well, you can't work on these projects in here! You're—making a mess!"

"But the science fair is a big part of our grade," Raf protested, giving him a pleading look.

"Yeah!" Miko concurred. "If Bulkhead doesn't help me finish this model of our solar system—"

"Oh?" Ratchet cut her off condescendingly. "And what does Bulkhead know of your solar system?"

Bulkhead raised a hand from his position, about to object, but Ratchet continued before he could do so.

"Or Bumblebee of your volcanoes? Or—"

"Arcee of our motorcycles?" Jack chimed in with a hint of sarcasm, but the tone was lost on Ratchet.

"Precisely! We're not Earthlings, and they're not scientists!"

It was then that Optimus decided to step in on their human friends' behalf. Ratchet may have accepted that the smaller life forms were there to stay, but he still had yet to fully integrate himself into their customs and daily goings-on as the others have.

"But the Autobots are their guardians, Ratchet. Would it hurt to learn more of Earth by helping our young friends with their schoolwork?" Optimus reasoned smoothly, while internally noting to make good practice of his words later.

Ratchet digested his leader's logic, and he simmered down—but only slightly. "Well…maybe our young friends should try learning more of Cybertron," he grumbled, crossing his arms.

With the threat of an angry medic averted, the three present humans and their Autobot guardians went back to working on their projects together. Out of interest, Optimus listened in on some of their conversations.

"Uh, I thought Pluto's not considered a planet by your scientists anymore, Miko. You sure you wanna include it?" Bulkhead asked uncertainly as he watched Miko bring out a ninth sphere that was smaller than the rest.

Miko put on a too-serious expression. "Pluto was robbed and deserves recompense! I don't care if I get points off for it! Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten!"

Bulkhead shook his head with a fond chuckle at the girl's fiery declaration, even if it was for something that seemed so trivial. "Alright, ya little Wrecker. It's your project, after all."

Meanwhile, Jack was carefully looking over what was evidently an instruction manual. "Okay, now for the exhaust pipe," he said.

"Right," Arcee said, optics roving over the many pieces of metal scattered around them quizzically. "Um…"

Jack snorted. "The 'doohickey,' Arcee."

Arcee sent him a dry look as she grabbed the part she had previously. "Don't get smart with me, kiddo."

"Whatever."

Lastly, Rafael took out what appeared to be a bowl of some white, liquid-like adhesive and placed it next to a large stack of parchment paper. "Guess I'm starting from scratch again."

"Don't worry, buddy, I'll help you with it," Bumblebee offered. "Just, uh…maybe not with so much explosives this time, okay?"

Rafael shrugged, relenting. "Yeah, okay. I guess I could always just dye the vinegar red with some food coloring or something. It's too late to get more stuff to make it bombastic anyway."

Optimus looked between the groups of unlikely companions, a ghost of a smile gracing his facial features in a thoughtful manner.

Among the many drastic changes that he and his team have undergone recently, the most noteworthy had to be the addition of their four new friends. Human children—sparklings, really, in comparison to their own life cycles, if anyone were to ask him personally. Young as they were, though, they have proven on more than one occasion that they were true warriors; if not in body, then in spirit. What they lacked in size and strength, they more than made up for in courage and loyalty towards those they care for the most. Over six years of living on Earth, watching and learning about its inhabitants in secret, and he still found ways to be astounded by the tenacity of humans. The potential and capability in this outwardly unassuming species seemed to know no bounds.

And amidst it all, he was most astounded by the one human who had come to be under his safeguard: One of the youngest of the four, Ellie, or as he would later come to know her as Elinor. Elinor Barron.

Ellie was…an intriguing little one, and not just because of her unique physical attributes that were later revealed to him and the others.

Of course, even before then, he knew there was something different about her. He had noticed it the moment he first laid optics on her when she had arrived to base with the other children on that fateful day. From the corner of the base, he'd quietly watched her movements, her mannerisms and reactions, before he eventually made his appearance to them and introduced himself. He had found that she was curious about him and his team like the rest of the children, but it was a different kind of curious. There was a quiet inquisitiveness to her. She didn't ask questions—at first, at least. She simply observed, took in everything she saw, and tried to come to her own conclusions on the information that was placed before her.

It was honestly baffling how precocious she was for her age, despite not speaking much. Baffling, but certainly not unwelcome.

But what truly set her apart from the others was the way she held herself—her overall stance and bearing. There was something familiar about it to him that had caused concern to shoot through his circuits, which startled him in a way that it hasn't for a very long time. The slightest hesitation before she made any strenuous movements, the subtle way that she favored her left side; it reminded him too much of when one of his fellow Autobots had become gravely injured from an intense battle back on Cybertron, and the repercussions remained with them even long after the wounds faded into scars. It was his profession—his nature—to notice such things about any acquaintance under his watch, and apparently that included humans. He immediately couldn't help but worry about her.

A thought had fleetingly crossed his processor that perhaps he was overreacting. She was a completely different species from him, after all; thus he could've been wrong about his assessment, and warning signs aside, she acted like she was fine. However, the more he had watched her, the more apparent it became that something was amiss. But what, exactly? Bumblebee had reported that she'd gotten grabbed by one of the Vehicons in the previous fight the day before then, but he'd stopped the Decepticon before any real harm could come to her. But did he really? Had she gotten hurt and simply wasn't bringing any attention to it? A part of Optimus had wanted to pull her aside and ask her before his attention was abruptly diverted by Cliffjumper's corrupted life signal jumping back online. In the end, he had chosen to stay quiet; he didn't want to come across as too forward or push her if she wasn't comfortable—and she clearly wasn't. And even after taking it upon himself to be her guardian—even after he was able to catch a tiny glimpse of her passionate side when talking with her one-on-one—there was still that silent reservation. Whenever the conversation started to become more about her, she'd either change the subject, or simply stop talking altogether. He was beginning to wonder he would ever find out what it was she was hiding.

And then the moment he'd left her alone, she and Ratchet were attacked by the dark energon-corrupted machinery. He was on his way back to the main area when he'd heard her shouting Ratchet's name in distress. He'd sprinted the rest of the way, ion cannon out and ready for anything…except for the sight of his human charge, on the floor and rapidly beating the threat with her own leg in a frenzy—a metal limb replacement for an amputation from her right knee joint down, to be precise.

Suddenly it had all clicked into place. She wasn't injured; she was disabled.

After swiftly neutralizing the danger and checking to see if she was alright, he was surprised to find that she would hardly even look at him afterwards, and when she did, it was with an air of anxiousness and fear that made his spark compress. For the first time, she had looked afraid—afraid of him. That simply would not do. He'd internally vowed to rectify this misunderstanding the second he and Ratchet were finished with their recon mission.

"I knew there was something off about that human," was the first thing Ratchet had said in a low mumble shortly after arriving at their intended destination.

Of course. If Optimus had been able to notice right away, then their chief medical officer had definitely caught on quickly. Although, considering that Ratchet had a tendency to be rather…brusque, especially towards humans, Optimus had deliberated it was best that he took the reins on this one first. The girl had already been shaken up enough from the dangerous encounter and the unintentional reveal.

So, after what had turned out to be a fight for survival against a legion of Megatron's undead, and then finding out that Ellie and the others had their own misadventure aboard the Decepticon warship meanwhile (the internal panic his systems had suffered when he and Ratchet returned to an empty base, and then when Ellie was given the option to walk out of his life for good, was more penetrating than he would ever care to admit), he finally got her alone. It took some coaxing, but she finally began to open up to him, albeit with the initial fear that he would reject her. But when he told her otherwise—that it didn't at all change how he felt about her—there was no denying the look of shock, and overwhelming relief she had, no matter how hard she tried to rein it in. That alone said much about how she was generally treated by others in the past. No wonder she was so cautious to speak with him and the others at first.

After that, things have been gradually progressing between them, the tension lessening. She's grown more comfortable around him now, enough to give him her real name, even—a gesture that he would be forever honored by. And in time, she's grown comfortable with the other team members and the rest of the children as well—even Agent Fowler, to all of their surprise. She still didn't like to talk about herself much, but he surmised it to simply be the way she was, and he couldn't fault her for that. Besides, it wasn't as though he was telling her his entire life story either. Not that she's ever asked. In fact, the only time she ever asked questions was when they somehow got onto the topic of the differences between their species', but only so that she could better understand him and the others, something that he appreciated about her. He's also grown to appreciate the moments he would spend time with her. Most of the time, they hardly even talked; they would just drive or sit in silence, basking in one another's company, not demanding anything grand. They were the few moments when, for the first time in ages, he didn't feel the pressures of his responsibilities—when he didn't feel like he had to be a commanding officer in an eons-long war. He could simply…be.

Yes, there was still much that he did not know about her, but what he did know was that she was kind, intelligent, resourceful, brave, and caring towards others. And that was important enough for him.

Coming out of his reverie and back to the present, Optimus looked around the main area in search of the girl in question. Upon seeing no sign of her still, he approached Jack and Arcee.

"Jack," Optimus addressed the oldest teen, "do you know where Ellie has gone?"

"She's on the roof," Jack replied, pointing straight up. "Her project requires fresh air and sunlight."

An optical ridge raising curiously, Optimus thanked the boy before he straightened and started to make his way for the freight lift on the far side of the room, which the Autobots occasionally used to get topside.

Then, hearing another set of pedetsteps coming from behind, he turned his helm and saw that Ratchet had caught up, walking alongside him.

Suppressing a smile, he said casually, "I was under the impression that you did not care for Earth's science, old friend."

At first, Ratchet sputtered as if caught in a lie, but he quickly covered it up with a dismissive scoff. "Please. I just want to ensure that she doesn't make a mess up there either. Can't stand a chaotic work environment, let alone two."

Optimus merely shot the medic a knowing look at first before they stepped onto the platform together. "If you say so," he said before activating the lift, slowly ascending towards the roof. The landing pad above them split open, letting the afternoon daylight shine down upon them.

As they rose through the ceiling and onto the roof, they looked around momentarily before they finally spotted Ellie. She wasn't far from the platform, but just far enough away from the edge to where it wasn't cause for concern. She sat on a thin, white cloth spread out beneath her, writing in what he understood was a notebook. Five different textbooks surrounded her on all sides, opened to particular pages, as well as several loose sheets of parchment paper containing printed articles. Close by was a small cart carrying three containers with similar-looking ecological plantations.

Upon first sight, it did seem like a small mess with the books, papers, and writing utensils strewn all around her. But apparently, there was a certain method to it—a disordered organization to it in the human child's eyes. Every several seconds or so, she would pause in her scrawling, only to instantly lean toward one of the books she had open or one of the article papers, running a finger over a certain highlighted text to reference, and go right back to writing without losing much momentum. And she did it all with a rather intense, focused frown on her face. In fact, she seemed to be so immersed in her work that she didn't even look up when the freight lift finally came to a stop with a loud clang.

Optimus was faintly amused as he and Ratchet approached her, and still she hadn't noticed them. Seeing her so absorbed in her research, unintentionally blocking out any outside distraction—it reminded him so much of his days in the Iacon record halls, way back in Cybertron's age before the war, before he was even a Prime. All those cycles he spent submerged in his studies, to the point where he had completely lost track of the passage of time, until his mentor had to come find him and snap him out of it. Alpha Trion always had that barest hint of exasperated fondness to him before dismissing his pupil.

Those days were long past as well, lost to a history forgotten by most. But Optimus had to admit, this reminder wasn't as melancholy as he would've thought it would be—compared to the other memories that have been invading the forefront of his processor lately, that is. It was a refreshing change.

It wasn't until Ratchet impatiently cleared his vocal synthesizer that Ellie was jolted out of her musings. She lifted her head, blinking her wide, expressive eyes a couple of times as she processed their presence. Then she quickly straightened up, though she still held a vaguely shocked expression.

"Oh. Hey, Optimus. Hey, Ratchet," she said with her light, youthful voice that had the vaguest hint of a lilt to it—no doubt influenced by the way her grandmother spoke around her at her home.

Optimus greeted her with a gentle smile, "Hello, Elinor. It's come to my attention that you and the other children are working on projects for some sort of science event at school?"

She didn't respond at first, as if taken aback by his question, before she answered hesitantly, "Yeah, the science fair. We're all just putting together our finishing touches before we present them tomorrow."

Ratchet growled at the reminder. "More like making a huge mess everywhere. Raf's volcano explosion nearly gave me a spark attack."

Upon hearing this, Ellie's face slackened in alarm before she was up on her feet in an instant, causing some of her papers to scatter. "What? It actually exploded?" she said apprehensively. "Are Raf and Bee okay? I told them—"

She was stopped by Optimus's calm raise of his hand. While he wasn't surprised by the worry she showed toward her friends, he was quick to quell it; she looked a nanoklik away from simply running back down there to fuss over them. "It was a very minor detonation, and no one was harmed. The two are now rebuilding a new volcano—one that hopefully will not cause the same thing to happen again."

Ellie considered his words, some doubt lingering in her features for a moment, until she visibly relaxed again. "Okay, then."

Then Optimus stepped closer, but remained mindful of her work area. "May I ask what sort of project you are working on?"

"Um, well…" She gingerly stepped around her paperwork and gestured to the three potted plants lined up in a row on her cart. "I'm using these flowers. I planted them three weeks ago, and I'm studying how well each of them grows in different mixtures of soil and fertilizer."

Optimus lowered himself to one knee to take a closer look, humming pensively as he observed with his retracting optics. Meanwhile, Ratchet made a face at Ellie's explanation.

"Dirt? You're studying dirt for your science project?" the medic asked, incredulousness in his tone. "As primitive as your Earth science is compared to that of Cybertron's, you could've picked something at least more…prestigious. Something truly enlightening in the field. Science isn't for amateurs, you know."

Ellie just stared at him with a fractional arch of an eyebrow, but otherwise gave no indication that she was offended. As thrown off as she was at first about Ratchet's blatant disregard for most things Earth and human-centered, she had grown more-or-less accustomed to his stand-offish attitude in the weeks that she's known him.

Of course, that didn't mean that she particularly liked it. Even Optimus could see that clear as day.

Her attention was then diverted back to Optimus when he spoke up again.

"So the growth rate and health of the Earth's vegetation is determined on the state of the foundation in which it is ingrained?" he asked her. He reached down and stretched a digit out toward one of the orange-red flowers, just barely touching it.

She nodded slowly. "That's right. Soil—at least, the good soil—is often described as the bridge between life and the inanimate world. Basically, it's the building block of all plant growth and natural life on Earth, made up of mineral and organic matter, air, and water."

Ratchet scoffed as he crossed his arms challengingly. "Is that so? And just how much of each composition makes up this so-called building block exactly, since you know so much about it?"

Ellie looked him dead in the optic, expressionless. Then, without breaking eye contact once, she raised a hand and listed off each and every single bit of knowledge she knew on the subject in rapid fire, "Forty-five percent mineral matter, twenty-five percent air, twenty-five percent water, and five percent organic matter. Texture of the soils depends on the percentage of silt, sand, and clay found in it. Formation of the soil is controlled by its parent material, time, climate, topography, and animal and plant activity formulating in and around it. And while we're at it, the fertilizer should be made of the three main macronutrients: nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Other good components are the macronutrients calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. And now the micronutrients: Copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, boron—do you want me to go on?"

Ratchet, his imperious demeanor long since disappeared in the middle of her speech, said thinly, "No, I think you've made your point."

"Oh, I might as well; I'm almost at the bottom of the list. Occasional rare micros also include silicon, cobalt, and last but not least: vanadium. So you see, Ratchet? You were right."

The Autobot medic jerked back in surprise when she ended her speech with a compliment towards him. "I—what? I was—I was right?"

"Yep."

"About what?"

Ellie slanted her head with what could only be described as a deceptively coy smile. "Science isn't for amateurs."

It was a good thing Ratchet didn't have a good view of Optimus's face at that moment, because he most likely would not have appreciated the way the corner of the Autobot leader's lip-plates twitched upwards ever so slightly only for him to imperceptibly suppress it.

Yes, Ellie has most definitely grown more comfortable around them. The girl he had first met several weeks back would not have had the confidence to try to bring Ratchet down a peg; or maybe she had and was just holding back, he'd never know.

That, or she's simply been spending more time with Miko, who's never once been afraid to give others a piece of her mind.

Even so, Ratchet looked like he was going to blow a fuse on her. But somehow, he seemed to think better of it—he most likely didn't want to explode at Optimus's charge right in front of him—instead releasing an irritated huff. Then he whirled around and stomped back towards the lift, grumbling to himself the entire time. Optimus and Ellie quietly watched him leave until he disappeared into the silo once more. Then Ellie sighed in relief, regaining Optimus's attention, as she reached into her backpack and pulled out a bottle of water, a liquid that he understood was essential for daily human consumption, almost like that of energon was for him.

"Thank goodness he walked. It would've been awkward to ask for a drink break before a fight."

"It would not have come to that, although it may not have been the best decision to challenge one another's scientific integrity," Optimus told her, but it wasn't with the amount of reproach that it probably should have as a mediator.

She made a noncommittal noise in reply, along with a low murmur of, "Well, he asked," before she drowned it down with a sip of her water. Then she went back to the center of her makeshift work circle and sat herself back down, but not without a sharp intake of breath, her face contorting into a wince as she did so, making sure to be very careful with how she positioned her prosthesis before settling.

Optimus instantly picked up on the show of pain, and frowned in concern. "Are you well?"

She exhaled steadily before looking up at him with a small, but strained smile. "Yeah, I just…went a little harder today than usual, and I'm feeling it now. Just need to sit for a bit."

He nodded with a soft hum of acknowledgement, only partly satisfied with her answer.

Shortly after the space bridge incident and things had calmed down, Optimus spent the better part of his free time unburying his old archivist practices, and scoured the Earth's worldwide web for information on human limb difference and limb loss. After much thorough research, and getting to know more of Ellie's personality and habits, he came to the conclusion that while amputees (and disabled people in general) did not like being treated like they were helpless or fragile, their struggles should not be invalidated either. Some days, Ellie felt like she could do anything; go about her normal routine and function just like her peers. Sometimes, she was even capable of doing remarkable feats, like lead a fight against Soundwave with the other children; Fowler had managed sweep the satellite array clean of any evidence of the children's involvement with the Decepticon's communications officer, and among them was the security video footage.

"You got yourself a resilient group of kids there, Prime. I'll give you that," Fowler had told him with a dry smile during their later debriefing before sending him the video of the entire skirmish between the children and Soundwave's extensive appendage. It was…illuminating to watch—especially considering that Ellie had vastly underplayed the event when she told him prior. He may or may not have saved it in his data files for further viewing/inspection.

There were other days, however, when Ellie's condition seemed to get the better of her. How well she performed in one moment might not be the same in another. She'd once mentioned in passing about the discomfort and pain she felt at times from her residual limb, but she had her own methods of making it at the very least manageable. While he didn't fully understand the entirety of it (reading about it was not the same as experiencing it himself, and everyone's experience was different), he recognized that it was a real problem she faced, and did his best to be supportive when she needed it.

Still, that didn't quite stop the worry from flowing through his veins, even when she would say she was fine. As the Earth saying went: "Old habits die hard." But for her sake, he'd keep that to himself—for the most part.

So instead of vocalizing his question of, "Are you sure you're alright?" that felt like an internal battle in of itself to keep from coming out, he forced his attention elsewhere, his optics sweeping over her work area.

"Do you mind telling me more about this 'science fair' event at your school?" he asked.

Once again, there was a brief pause before she would respond, a flicker of surprise crossing her face, which told him that she still hasn't quite grown used to being the center of one's attention—of having someone show a genuine interest in something she did. He was still working on that with her.

"Well, it's this thing that schools host once a year. Students pick a science or technology-related topic, do an extensive project around it, and then present them to teachers and judges. Sometimes, if a person's project is good enough, they're picked to go to the state-wide exhibition."

"Is that right? Rafael also said that it's a big part of your grade."

"Oh, it is, which is why I'm determined not to mess it up. If it goes bad, it'll take forever to bring my grade back up again."

Optimus observed her scrawled notes and many books and papers with a slight smile. "You seem to be doing fine for yourself so far."

She shrugged, absent-mindedly picking up a few papers, straightening them, and putting them back. "Yeah, I guess. It's been fun mostly, but I'll be glad once it's all over with tomorrow." Then she mumbled under her breath, "Especially the presentation part."

Optimus once again looked over at her main subject of experimentation. "So your project is centered on plant growth."

She nodded. "It usually helps to base your project on a question and work to find a solution to it. Mine is: What if I could make a soil concoction that could prolong the natural life of a plant, no matter what climate it's in? So I mixed two different types of soils, and then used a name brand mixture I bought at the garden center for comparison."

She pointed at the one in the center. "This one has more macronutrients than the other two; I added in some stuff I found like sliced up banana peels, coffee grounds, eggshells and epsom salts to make it more rich in potassium, nitrogen, calcium, and magnesium." She pointed at the one on the other end. "And this one is less heavy on the macronutrients and more on the micronutrients, mostly by adding organic composts like leaves, glass clippings, and table scraps."

Then she frowned a little as she delicately touched a petal hanging limply off one of the plants. "Although, the micro-based one isn't doing as well as the others. But I guess that's part of the whole trial and error method—learning what works and what doesn't."

"Indeed. But it seems like the other two are flourishing."

She nodded. "Yeah, it took some work to get the planting process right. These are evening primroses, so they thrive better in shady areas, or when the sun starts to set."

"Is that so? In most cases I've seen plant life on my travels, it's the other way around."

"Oh, yeah. There's a lot of vegetation all over the world that prosper better at nighttime, some species we probably haven't even discovered yet." Then Ellie looked down at her flowers with a ghost of a smile adorning her lips. "That…and I just really like primroses."

Optimus perceptively took note of the wistful expression she currently had, before he pulled her back by asking, "What else can you tell me about your project?"

She shifted in her spot to get more comfortable. "Well, you want to keep the soil moist, but not waterlogged. Otherwise your plants will be susceptible to stuff like fungal infections or root rot. Sometimes it can be hard to keep the right amount of moisture, especially in a dry place like Nevada."

Optimus raised his head, optics scanning the near desert land that stretched out as far as they could see. "You know of the natural growth in this region?"

"Well, it's mostly sand in this part of the state. But what could be considered soil here in Nevada is aridosol-type. The climate is so dry that there's not enough water to remove the soluble minerals. That's why you don't see a whole lot of plants out there in the desert, at least compared to other parts of the world. But that doesn't mean nothing can grow here either. You can still find life if you really look for it." She gestured outward to where he was looking, before he returned his gaze to her.

"You are quite knowledgeable on this subject."

She blinked, then averted her own gaze. "Thanks," she said diffidently. "I know I'm not very good at computer science like Raf is, or Ratchet with medical science and physics and anything else he's good at. But I've always loved environmental science. How biological things happen in the natural world."

"There are many different branches of science for study, Ellie, some that are hardly ever shown to the general public, but that does not make them any less relevant. That was true even on Cybertron."

She looked back at him, perking up lightly, as he continued, "One does not have to be well-versed in all fields to be considered brilliant. I'm glad that you have chosen a project that best suits your interests and plays to your strengths."

She slowly smiled at him before saying with more sincerity than before, "Thank you."

"And you've been cataloging your progress for three weeks now?"

"Yeah. I just need to do the written report now," she replied, grabbing her notebook and opening it back up to her current place in her writing.

He paused in a moment of contemplation. Then he said carefully, "I was…not aware."

Ellie's whole body stiffened, inadvertently telling him that she immediately understood the implication underneath that simple statement.

"Well, I…" she started in a rueful tone, her facial expression looking just as guilty as she kept her eyes trained on her paper, "I know how busy you can get, being the leader and all. I can't expect you to drop everything to help me with every little thing I have to do. And...on top of that…" at this, she chanced an uncertain glimpse up at him, "…you look like you've had a lot on your mind since then. I didn't want to bother you."

She turned back to her notes before she could see his reaction. The blue in Optimus's optics had dilated at her words as he blinked, his frame straightening from his previous position. For a long moment, he was actually at a loss for words with a stunned revelation. If she was referring to what he thought she was, then…

She had known? This whole time? And she just kept quiet about it?

When he finally found the use of his voice box again, it was noticeably softer.

"Ellie…you—"

"Optimus, we have a situation," Ratchet's voice broke through his comm-link channel before he could say any more.

As if it couldn't be more poorly timed.

Frowning, Optimus put a digit to the side of his helm as the Autobot medic explained, "An exposed energon signature is on the move. I suspect it to be Decepticons."

"Understood. I'm on my way," he said lowly before the comm-link disconnected. He looked down apologetically at Ellie, who was watching him curiously.

"Please excuse me," he said, "but a matter has come up."

She smiled in understanding. "You do what you have to do."

He rose to his full height and turned toward the lift.

"Good luck, and be careful," she called out to him. He stopped mid-stride and glanced back over his shoulder, but Ellie was already back to work with her project. There was a small part of him (a selfish part, admittedly) that wanted to stay back for a little longer and continue their conversation—to resolve this misconception that had apparently grown between them as of late.

But for the time being, he was needed as his team's leader. And until he returned, that was what he would be.

This was another matter for another time.

"Thank you, I will," he finally replied before he stepped onto the platform. Setting his facial features firmly, he descended into the silo, mentally preparing himself for his mission of seeing about this supposed energon in transit.

---

Three seconds after the landing pad closed with a metallic thud, Ellie lifted her gaze up from her notebook to the now empty space where her guardian had occupied. She sighed forlornly. Then she looked over and caught sight of Cliffjumper's shrine across the way.

She stared blankly at it for a moment, while it merely stood there doing nothing in the hollow silence. Then she scowled. "What, you think you could've handled that better? Get off my back."

And of course, in rare form, that nagging voice in the back of her head reared itself in, Tsk. And here I thought you were done arguing with people who aren't really there.

Ellie grit her teeth. "Shut. Up," she ground out, which didn't exactly help her case.

She shut her eyes, took a deep, long breath, and let it out, releasing some of the tension from her shoulders. When she opened her eyes again, she trained them down onto her science report in a persistent glare.

Whatever was going on between her and Optimus was another matter for another time; he was too occupied himself anyway. Time to finish up her project.

The rest of the afternoon went by without incident. Ellie continued to write up her report with no more interruptions or distractions, stopping occasionally to take a snack break or simply admire the view some more. By the time the afternoon shifted into the evening, the sun beginning to touch down on the horizon, she managed to complete her paper. And just in time, too. She was starting to put everything away when she heard the landing pad open up again from behind. She turned around to see Jack and Arcee rise up on the lift and step out, joining her. She smiled at them.

"Hey, guys. How's the engine coming along?" she asked them.

The two looked at each other, both of them sporting uncomfortable expressions.

"Um…about that…" Jack started nervously.

Ellie frowned. "What, you didn't finish it? Is something wrong with it?"

"No, but uh…"

"Ratchet decided to stay and 'advise' on your guys' projects," Arcee provided grudgingly.

Ellie's eyebrows rose. "Ah. So by 'advise', you mean—"

"Complete hostile takeover? Yeah," Jack finished for her. "He's already gotten to mine, Raf's, and Miko's. We just wanted to give you a heads-up in case he comes up here to try to 'improve' your project."

"Hmm," Ellie hummed, unbothered. "Well, don't worry. He won't try anything with me."

"Seriously, Ellie. The Doc Bot's gone mad with power. I'd watch out."

Ellie gave him a long, level look, making him pause. "He's not touching my babies."

Jack put his hands up, relenting. "Okay, but don't say we didn't warn you."

Ellie shrugged. "I'm done here anyway."

"Yeah, it's almost curfew for some of us, isn't it?"

She nodded absently as she continued to clean up her area, Jack stepping in to help. A few minutes later, after they covered up her cart with the sheet, they turned around, and were faced with a compelling sight: Arcee was standing right in front of Cliffjumper's memorial. Her lips were moving, but her volume was too low for them to pick up what she was saying from where they were.

Jack and Ellie looked at one another, unsure of what to do at first. When Arcee stopped speaking a few moments later, they cautiously crossed the mesa toward her. When they reached her, Jack stretched a hand out and gently placed it on the armor plating of her leg.

"Arcee?" he called softly.

The blue Autobot blinked her vibrant blue optics and looked down at the two humans, as though she had just remembered that they were there. For a moment, no one said anything. Then Arcee smiled a small, but sad smile. "Don't mind me. Just catching up with a friend."

"Do you want us to leave?"

Arcee shook her head dismissively. "Nah, I'm good now. We should start getting you guys home anyway."

Jack and Ellie smiled up at her in understanding. They turned around, Ellie going to grab her wagon, but not before she heard Arcee say quietly to Cliffjumper's monument, "See you around, partner."

Now if that doesn't just pull at your heartstrings…

The three of them stepped onto the platform and were lowered into the silo together. What awaited them inside, however, was one that was quite unexpected.

"Oh, wow," Ellie muttered as she took in the sight of Jack, Miko, and Rafael's new projects, completely reworked and overseen by Ratchet. Miko's model of their solar system was replaced with a model of the planet Cybertron, its two moons hanging on either side of it. The spheres were completely made of metal, the one representing Cybertron being so large it was a wonder how the cable keeping it suspended was able to hold it up. Jack's makeshift motorcycle was now simply a big, energon-powered engine. And Raf's volcano was, much like the others', a larger and metallic monstrosity of what it once was.

"Told you so," Jack said to Ellie as they joined the others.

"You guys actually let him talk you into this?" Elle asked them skeptically as they watched Ratchet put the finishing touches to Jack's new engine.

"Well, he was persistent," Raf defended himself.

"Hey, less work for me. And at this point, I'm all curious to how this is gonna play out," Miko said, watching the Autobot medic with a rapturous look, almost like how one would watch a disaster waiting to happen.

Ellie shook her head at the older girl. She is such an agent of chaos, it's kind of scary.

"And that should do it!" Ratchet proclaimed with more vigor than Ellie's ever seen him have as he stood up. Then he turned toward Ellie, rubbing his hands together, which in itself was sending up red flags for her. "Now, I've been thinking. If we could come up with a way to showcase the process of raw energon being formed beneath Cybertron's surface, it'd be—"

"Hard pass."

He faltered. "What?"

"As interesting as that sounds, no thank you."

"B-But—don't you want to be right? To get a good grade?"

"Yeah, that's why I'm sticking with what I've got."

He scowled at her. "What, your piles of dirt?" he said snidely.

Her eyes snapped to him. "That's right, my piles of dirt."

Ratchet narrowed his eyes at her. She simply narrowed hers right back, discreetly moving to stand between him and her project behind her. They stared each other down for what felt like minutes, the tension in the room so thick the others could feel it too, looking between them in suspense. In the background, Ellie could even hear Miko pop open a bag of chips and eat away loudly while she watched them with eagerness.

Again, agent of chaos.

Finally, Ratchet was the first to break away with a low growl. "Fine, then. It's too late to start a new project all over anyway. You kids should get going."

Ellie smirked. "Yeah, that's why."

His scowl deepened as he started to walk away.

Ellie let out a quiet sigh of relief. That was one problem out of the way. But now there was another.

"How are we gonna get these home?" Raf asked, bringing attention to the—well, the largeness of the three altered projects.

"Yeah, and how are we gonna get them to school tomorrow? And—you know, explain them to our parents?" Miko added.

Ellie thought for a moment, looking from the projects to the ground bridge station. Then it came to her.

"What if we bridged them to the school right now?" she proposed. "That way, they'll already be there for tomorrow, and you won't have to worry about lugging them around."

"Hey, that's not a bad idea," Jack said, smiling. "No one should be in the building after hours. It's all closed up. We could smuggle them right inside, and no one would be the wiser."

"If only we had the exact coordinates for the science classroom," Ellie wondered aloud.

Then the sound of someone clearing their throat pulled their gazes over to Raf, who had already pulled out his laptop and was typing away at it. In less than a minute, he had a map of the school on a GPS application.

"Got it!" he declared triumphantly.

They all grinned. "Let's do it!" Miko said.

The next several minutes were spent going to and from the school and the base via ground bridge. It took the combined effort of all four of them to transport each project; the contraptions weren't just huge, they were heavy. But they accomplished it in the end, and Ellie went ahead and set up her own project at the school while they were at it.

"You don't want to take it home?" Jack asked her as they stepped through the portal one final time back to base.

She shook her head. "This just saves me the trouble. Also, it saves the risk of my plants getting eaten by the dog."

"You mean the same dog that tried to eat your socks? She's still at your house?"

"Yep, the very same."

"So no one's come by to claim her? It's been almost a month."

"No. Gran put out flyers and posted a picture at her office's message board and everything, but still nothing. If no one claims her by the end of the month, we might settle for fostering her ourselves."

"Haven't you tried just dropping her off at the pound?"

Ellie looked scandalized by the mere suggestion. "Hell no!"

Jack recoiled. "Wow, okay. Never mind, then."

Since Optimus and Bumblebee were still out on their mission, Ellie and Raf had to carpool home with Miko and Bulkhead. Ellie was dropped off at her house first.

"Thanks for the ride, Bulk," Ellie said, turning back to face them after getting out. "And be sure to get plenty of sleep tonight, guys. Big day tomorrow."

"Is it weird to say I can't wait to see the judges' faces when we show them our projects?" Miko said.

Ellie shrugged. "A little, but now you got me all curious too."

"I just hope they'll be seen as 'creative liberties,' and we'll still get good grades," Raf said with a fair mixture of nervous optimism.

Ellie smiled. "Either way, your presentations are gonna be the most popular ones there."

THE NEXT DAY…

They certainly were.

The order of when students presented their projects before the judges were by alphabet, and since Ellie's last name was closer to the beginning than most, she was one of the first ones to go. She went in, stood before the judges, as well as some of her classmates, and showcased her results on how her plants fared in different types of soil foundations, going into detail of her process, listing off every component that was added to each sample of soil, and her conclusion on how macro-based soil helped her plants live longer in the dry climate. She stumbled over her words a few times during her presentation, but other than that, she thought she did a decent job. The judges seemed pleased with her work, at the very least. It was a huge relief for it to finally be done and over with.

While Ellie's project was well-received, however, complete pandemonium unfolded for the others.

Ellie wasn't in the same period as Jack and Miko, but she did hear the havoc that Jack's engine wrought when he turned it on; it had gone completely haywire, running so out of control that it escaped the classroom and into the hallway, causing tons of property damage in its wake. It took a team of firefighters and cops to finally get close enough and shut it down. And according to Miko, she had a hard time convincing their teacher that her model of Cybertron was, in fact, a real planet. Not only that, but the string holding up Cybertron had snapped during her presentation and made a huge crater in the floor. The fire department was called yet again during that class to get it out.

But the real show was one that Ellie had a front-row seat for: Raf's volcano. The electrical currents buzzing all around it when it was first presented should've been their first clue that something wasn't quite right with it. When their teacher asked him if it was active, Raf turned it on, and…yes, it was very active. So active, even, that it blew a hole straight through the ceiling.

The local emergency response team was very busy that day.

"Well, look on the bright side, Raf," Ellie told the downtrodden boy as they rode to base with Miko and Bulkhead that afternoon, Arcee and Jack driving ahead of them. It was a couple of hours later than they usually got out, since they had to stay after to help clean up what they could before a maintenance crew had to eventually be called in to take care of the bigger messes. "You got to have your explosive volcano just like you wanted."

"But it was too explosive," Raf bemoaned. "Try explaining to Mr. Winters and the entire fire department how you made something of that kind of magnitude. They called it a hazard. A hazard."

"Hey, at least you didn't get docked a whole grade because you 'made up' a planet," Miko said from the front seat. "He said I had a good imagination, but it wasn't fit for projects based on scientific facts! Can you believe it? Cybertron is a real planet! He just doesn't know it!"

"Can't expect anything less from the girl who wanted to include Pluto in her original model," Bulkhead chimed in humorously.

"Well, Pluto is still part of our solar system family," Ellie remarked with a wry smile. "And family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten."

"That's right!" Miko exclaimed, making them all laugh—even Raf's mood had improved enough for him to laugh along.

Once their laughter died down, and Miko, Raf, and Bulkhead fell into an easier conversation, Ellie fell quiet. She pulled out her rubric paper for her project from her backpack, reading it over for the third time since she received it from her teacher, Mr. Winters, at the end of the school day. She couldn't help but smile with an overflowing sense of accomplishment—not only that she had passed with a score higher than she thought she'd get, but also for the special note that was written in the additional comments section at the bottom, which told her that her project was one of the five that was selected to go to the state-wide exhibition.

Of course, the only setback was the little side-note added to her score, "Practice a little more with your enunciation when giving a speech."

But other than that, it was hard not to feel proud of herself.

When they pulled into the silo, they were greeted by an overzealous Ratchet, who was followed closely by Optimus and Bumblebee, evidently having returned from their mission.

"Well? How were my—erm, our projects received?" the Autobot medic asked with obvious anticipation.

Ellie had to admit, there something almost wholesome about how excited he was…if it wasn't for the fact that he had completely taken over her friends' projects and did things his own way.

They all looked at each other once before returning their gazes to him.

"Well…" Raf started hesitantly.

"Not good, Ratch," Miko filled in for him bluntly.

"Not good at all," Jack finished with the same tone.

After a minute of giving him a quick run-down of their disastrous presentations, Ratchet became far less than pleased. In fact, he looked downright insulted.

"Well, on our planet, you would've been awarded the highest honors!" he vented angrily.

"Sorry, Ratchet, but Earth just isn't ready for Cybertronian science," Ellie said, showing the slightest bit of pity for him.

"Plus, it's a public high school in Nevada, not the Nobel Prize," Jack added sardonically.

Ratchet threw them one last dark look before he started to stalk off, muttering to himself the whole time, which to them sounded something like, "Absolutely no gratitude…see if I help them again!"

Then Bumblebee turned to Optimus, emitting a sequence of buzzes.

"Indeed, Bumblebee," Optimus replied with the vaguest hint of humor. "Jack, Miko, and Raf would've been wise to follow Ellie's lead, and stray from Ratchet's path."

Ellie looked down, fighting back a smile along with the timorous feeling that bloomed in her chest. Fortunately, Miko grabbed everyone's attention away by pulling out her cell phone.

"Oh, well. I still got some good pictures out of it. You should've seen Teach's face when Jack's engine went AWOL! Oh wait, you can! Check it!" She showed them some of the many pictures she had taken of the event, some of them a little blurry due to her having to scramble out of the way of the renegade contraption.

"It's too bad I couldn't get any pictures of Raf's volcano going off, but at least I was able to get pictures of the hole in the ceiling before the classroom was completely taped off."

At the mention of his blundered project, Raf sighed glumly. "I'm still kinda bummed about our grades, though. I don't know how I'm gonna explain that to my parents."

"Well, I'm sure if you talk with Mr. Winters, he'd be willing to give you an extension—like a do-over," Ellie suggested.

He perked up at the idea. "Hey, yeah. Maybe."

Then Optimus stepped toward them, looking down at his charge curiously. "And how did your project fare, Ellie?"

Ellie looked up at him with a smile. "It did great; I passed."

She held back from saying more about the results of her work, half because she wasn't sure if it'd be that big of a deal to him, and the other half because of the resentful look Ratchet was giving over his shoulder, having overheard the conversation.

Either way, though, Optimus did return a faint smile to her. "That is good to hear."

Then suddenly, before anything else could be said, the main computer console rang out three different-sounding ringtones, alerting the base of an incoming call. A second later, Agent Fowler's face appeared on the screen, and going by his peeved expression, it wasn't to be a pleasant house call.

"Prime!" the liaison barked. "What's this I hear about your kids causing a Texas-sized ruckus three different times at their school?!"

The room was filled with a long, awkward silence, until all four of the kids—and even Arcee and Bulkhead—shouted in unison, "RATCHET DID IT!"

Ratchet full-out squawked in outrage by the audacity of them selling him out. He stuttered at first, trying to come up with an excuse. When he couldn't come up with anything that would satiate the still-angry Fowler, he instead turned his temper toward the kids, Arcee, and Bulkhead. He started toward them with a dangerous gleam in his optics, reaching for his wrench.

Oh scrap, Ellie thought with a sense of foreboding.

"Why, you little bunch of—"

"SCATTER!" Ellie yelled, and with that, they all took off screaming in different directions.

"GET BACK HERE!"

She didn't know how she managed it, but in the middle of the disarray of all the scrambling and shouting (and even some laughing), Ellie was able to make it to the elevator, closing it the second she slid inside. She leaned against the back wall as it carried her up to the roof, panting deep lungfuls of air to catch her breath.

"Phew," she exhaled with relief as the lift opened, and she stepped out onto the top of the mesa, feeling like she was safe again. She greeted Cliffjumper's shrine with a small wave, "Hey, me again. Just gonna hang out up here until Ratchet cools off down there. You get it, right?"

She made it over to the west side of the mesa, stopping just a few yards from the edge, but she wasn't concerned about that. She was too busy gazing out on the horizon far ahead, where the sun was beginning to set. All around it the sky was painted with beautiful warm colors, the clouds turning a bluish purple in contrast. Not taking her eyes off the breathtaking sight, she lowered herself into a sitting position, getting comfortable. She sighed softly, letting a wave of calm wash over her, as well as the last warmth of the sun's rays before they would eventually plunge into night, getting herself lost in her thoughts while absentmindedly humming to herself.

She had lost track of the amount of time she sat there alone in the peacefulness, but after a while, a noise from behind her took her out of her thoughts. She turned her head, peering over her shoulder at the landing platform breaking open. For a split second, she had an alarming notion that it was Ratchet coming to corner her and inflict his wrath. But once she saw the familiar deep blue of Optimus's helm, she relaxed, turning her gaze back to the horizon as the freight lift brought him up to the surface.

For a long moment, no one moved, but Ellie could feel his eyes trained on her back. Eventually, he strode toward her with those thundering, but calculated footsteps until he was level with her, appearing in her peripheral vision on her left.

Ellie broke the silence first, though in a quiet, subdued voice, "I have to say, you guys have a perfect rooftop view."

"Indeed." His voice was just as quiet. There was a brief pause before he asked, "May I join you?"

She finally tilted her head up at him, offering him a small smile. "Of course."

With a gentle whirring of gears and hydraulics, he settled until he was seated right next to her, his legs hanging over the edge of the cliff. His large hand rested just within an arm's reach from her.

"Have things calmed down inside yet?" she asked, referring mostly to Ratchet.

"For the most part," he replied. "I managed to keep Ratchet at bay, and I explained the situation to Agent Fowler. He agreed to make arrangements for Jack, Miko, and Rafael to redo their projects in exchange for never letting Ratchet alter their contents again."

Ellie bit back a grin. "That's good." She lowered her gaze briefly, before changing the subject, "So how did the mission with Bumblebee go?"

When he didn't answer right away, she looked up at him again, and was bewildered by grave expression her guardian currently held.

"Optimus?"

"We had to bury a Cybertronian."

Her face slackened in surprise, not expecting that answer at all, before it was quickly replaced with concern. "What happened?"

"We tracked down the energon signature, and it led us to Starscream reviving a Decepticon long thought to have been lost from stasis: Skyquake. I tried to offer them both a chance at peace—at finally ending this ancient conflict—but neither was willing to take it. Skyquake in particular made his undying loyalty to Megatron abundantly clear. He gave us no choice but to fight back. And in the end…it led to his demise."

Upon hearing all of this, Ellie returned her gaze to the sunset, her eyebrows pulled together ponderingly. There were a couple of things that came to mind about that, such as why someone would still be so loyal to another who was now dead. She chose not to voice that aloud, however. She knew that was far from a sturdy topic to tread on here.

Instead, she settled for saying gingerly, "I'm…sorry that happened."

"There's no need to apologize. Casualties of war are an inevitable outcome," he intoned bleakly.

She bit her lip once. "That doesn't really make it hurt any less, does it?" she whispered, but Optimus heard it clearly, going by the way he somewhat sharply turned his head to properly stare down at her, though she kept her eyes trained straight ahead on the horizon.

The two of them fell quiet once again, but it wasn't like it was before. Ellie could just tell, could sense it somehow. There was something heavy hanging in the air between them, just itching to be acknowledged. Ellie's hands curled in her lap as they sat there on top of the desert, feeling his penetrating gaze on her, left wondering and waiting.

Finally, it came in the form of Optimus's powerful yet soothing voice drifting over her, "You can never bother me, Elinor. You know that, don't you?"

She drew in a shallow breath, her body tensing slightly. Slowly, she lifted her head upwards to fully meet his gaze.

"While it's true that my duties as leader leave me otherwise engaged at times, being your guardian is also my duty," he continued. "Not just protecting you from any Decepticon threat, but also helping you with whatever task you may need assistance with, and perhaps learning more about Earth through you—and vice versa; I know that you are also interested in learning about Cybertron."

"Yeah?" was all she was able to utter out meekly when he broke off in his speech to give room for her to respond, still trying to process what he was saying.

He nodded once deliberately. "Just know that you can come to me for anything—can ask me about anything. I cannot guarantee that I will always be available, but I will do what I can for you." He paused momentarily, looking away with a flicker of regret crossing his features, before he focused onto her again. "I'm sorry if my recent actions ever made you believe otherwise."

Ellie was left dumbfounded. As if she wasn't taken off guard enough by his words, now he was apologizing? To her?

That…didn't sound right, for some reason. But he was, and a part of her was touched that he actually acknowledged it, and wanted to do better.

However, because of this, she also became aware that whatever this was—this gap in communication, she supposed—was a two-way street, and she needed to help mend it as well.

Gathering up her nerve, she told him, "I'm sorry too. I could've asked you this whole time instead of just—you know, assuming, no matter what your answer was going to be. I'm so used to doing things on my own now, I just…" She cut herself off, having trouble finding the right way to further articulate her reasoning. She turned her gaze back to the gradually lowering sun—now mostly obscured by the range of mountains and plateaus on the horizon—and let loose a tired, if not irritated huff. "I guess I still need some practice when it comes to talking to people. It's no excuse, but…it's the truth."

Optimus hummed, a deep, reverberating sound. "You are not the only one, I'm afraid."

Silence reigned over them once more. It wasn't nearly as dense as it was earlier, but Ellie still felt that there was something lingering between them. She wasn't entirely sure what that was until Optimus broke it again a few minutes later.

"You were right about one thing, though," he said, his low voice betraying some hesitance. She looked up, and was startled by the somewhat conflicted frown he wore. "I have had…certain matters on my mind as of late."

"Oh." She blinked, instantly recognizing the path this conversation was about to head down. A part of her had secretly wondered if they were ever going to have this talk, but now that it was actually happening, she was unsure if she was ready for it, or if he even was and was just indulging her out of obligation or something similar. "Optimus, you don't have to tell me if you really don't want to."

At this, Optimus's optics snapped down to her, any and all uncertainty in his features swept away. "That is precisely why I am going to."

Her mouth closed. Well, alright then.

She carefully shifted in her spot, angling herself into a position that was facing him more and was a little closer, while he himself sat back slightly, getting more comfortable. For a moment, Optimus seemed to be looking for the right words to start with, though his face remained passive, staring ahead.

"My mind has been going back to the day we stopped Megatron from unleashing his undead army onto Earth, but above all…I have been thinking about Megatron himself, and his demise."

Going by the lingering sadness she's seen in his eyes lately, it wasn't hard to figure out the reasoning behind his plagued thoughts, and that alone sent a wave of complicated emotions crashing through her, but she quickly pushed them down so deep they never saw the light of day. Swallowing hard, she said softly, "You…you said he was like your brother once?"

For a split second, Optimus's optics flickered toward her, as if surprised that she even remembered that minor detail, only for him to quickly school his expression again, looking away. "Yes, he was," he said, his hand curling into a fist. "But the brother I once knew has been gone for a long, long time. We have been at such odds, fighting for so long now, it was inevitable that one of us would offline the other eventually. And yet…"

There was that look of sad longing again. "A part of me had hoped that there was still a chance that I could change his mind, and bring him back onto the right path….that perhaps…we could go back to being brothers once again." A deep sigh escaped his mouth, staring out onto the horizon. "But it was never meant to be, regardless of his fate."

When he finished speaking, Ellie merely stared at him, feeling lost, unsure of what to say or do at this point.

Not that there wasn't anything that came to mind. She could tell him that it wasn't his fault; that some people just weren't worth changing their minds for if they weren't willing to accept it; that Megatron got what was coming to him and there was nothing to be done; that everything was better now that his nemesis was dead and gone, and he should be happy.

But Ellie held back those platitudes. Because one: even in her head, all of that sounded so calloused and thoughtless; if someone ever said something like that to her, she'd punch them in the face. And two: she didn't know everything about the history between Optimus and Megatron—she doubted she even scratched the surface—but their past obviously meant something to Optimus if he was still affected by it this much. She was at a loss of how to fix this.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, remembering her time at the care center all those years ago, when she saw how the other fellow amputees and patients with disabilities talked with each other, when she saw the way the counselors talked with them and listened. The way they tried to talk with her.

She opened her eyes again, feeling some semblance of resolve. She didn't have to fix it. That wasn't what she'd be good for anyway.

Her hand trembled as she raised it, tentative. But then, in one delicate move, she reached out and rested her hand on top of his. At first, she wasn't sure if he could even feel her touch, just by the size difference alone. But he did, as his gaze was instantly pulled down and locked onto hers, his expression slackening in a rare moment of shock for him—and she could see him right then. It felt like the weight of all that he's experienced in the war presented itself front and center before her as he looked right at her. It was almost overwhelming, but she remained steadfast, gazing back with a small yet sincere smile, hoping that she was able to convey what comfort she could just by her presence. Letting him know that she was there, that he wasn't alone.

For what felt like several minutes, neither of them moved, the world seeming to have come to a stand-still. Then, looking away again, he released another sigh as he used his other hand to rub his face in a rather human-like show of weariness.

"Forgive me," he said lowly. "I am grateful that this world and all others are no longer threatened by Megatron's merciless rule. It's just…there are times where I cannot help but reminisce of what once was."

He fell quiet once more. Now was the time for her to say something, but what? She thought long and hard, and eventually, it came to her; it was simply what she wished someone had said to her back then. When she spoke up, her voice was hesitant, unsure, but she proceeded.

Optimus deserved that much.

"I…I don't know the whole story between you and Megatron, but I think I get what you're saying."

She turned her head to look out toward the sky, where stars were slowly beginning to come out of hiding.

"We long for days that once were, but nothing's ever permanent. Things end and things change. For better or worse. And it's always sad when we realize that things won't be the same as before. It's normal to miss the past sometimes, and wonder what might've been. Everyone does it."

She lowered her gaze, a thick, throbbing feeling budding from deep in her chest and rising up to her throat. Memories and emotions began to cloud her mind as she stared distantly at the ground far below. Mainly, they were memories of when she first moved in with Isla all those years ago, during the absolute lowest point in her life—devastated, broken, empty, and alone; never wanting to even leave her room or talk to anyone.

Blinking rapidly, she furiously swallowed down that rock-like feeling, and continued, her voice coming out a little more strained and shaky at first.

"But new things can begin again too, and we learn to press on from there. It's what we do, what we have to do. We may not like it at first, and it can be so hard to get used to, but good things can come out of it in time…" With effort, she smiled reflectively, thinking of when she moved to Jasper—wary and scared but willing to try—and then met Miko, Raf, Jack, and then Optimus and the rest of Team Prime, "…if we give it a chance."

Silence.

Ellie looked up, only to be met with Optimus's blank stare. She instantly felt her insides grow cold with anxiety, petrified that she might've said something wrong and she couldn't take it back. Then, with a faint shifting of joints, he leaned down until his now scrutinizing face was hovered just above hers. When he finally spoke, it was in a hushed baritone—almost like that of a whisper—and laced with an emotion that she couldn't quite place.

"Have you always been this insightful, little one?"

The question was so unexpected, all she could do for a second was stare vacantly back, until she let out a startled laugh. "No, definitely not," she answered between barely restrained giggles.

The question itself wasn't the only thing that caught her off guard. Little one? That was…different from what she was used to being called by him. Before, he only ever called her by her name—Ellie when he was being casual and Elinor when he was being serious—and nothing else. Bumblebee always called Raf "buddy" like she did sometimes (at least according to Raf), she's heard Bulkhead call Miko his "little Wrecker" once, and even Arcee has thrown around the off-handed "kiddo" to Jack a couple of times. Sure, she's heard Optimus call Ratchet "old friend" often, but other than that, Ellie had just figured that he wasn't one to partake in using such terms for someone like her.

So why start now?

Calming down, Ellie added quietly, "You should've seen me when I was a lot younger. I was an idiot."

Hearing this, despite himself, a corner of Optimus's lips twitched up ever so slightly as he shook his head. "I cannot imagine."

"Thank goodness," she muttered with a final chuckle.

He observed her with his long gaze before saying gently, "Regardless of your past bearings, you speak with wisdom beyond your years now."

She gave him a soft smile before it slowly faded away, looking up at him solemnly. "I know it doesn't mean much now, coming from me, but I'm sorry things didn't work out the way you wanted—with Megatron, I mean. And…well, with Cybertron in general." She glanced away briefly, pursing her lips, before she added in a quieter voice, "Just know that it's okay to…not feel okay about it right now. It is a lot to deal with, after all."

Optimus regarded her thoughtfully for another long moment, until he straightened himself again and lifted his helm skyward, as though scanning for an unseen force somewhere beyond. He rumbled, "If only Megatron had your view of new beginnings. He'd have been able to see what he was missing right here. Him and all of his followers."

He looked down at her once again, and his expression changed into something different. He wasn't exactly happier—he never really looked happy—but he did seem more at ease, the firm creases in his expression having alleviated. Slowly, he turned his hand underneath hers, opening it, until her hand fell and rested in his giant metallic palm, which was surprisingly warm. For several seconds, he said nothing, his fingers tenderly closing around her hand, completely engulfing it. Then he said in almost the same low undertone as before, "Thank you, Elinor."

She blinked, rendered temporarily speechless, before she quickly shook herself out of her stupor and answered, albeit with a tiny stutter, "Y-You're welcome."

"It's getting late. How about I take you home?"

"Okay."

Optimus maneuvered himself until he was in a kneeling position while Ellie moved to get up as well, but she stopped when Optimus flattened his hand out before her once more in offering. Smiling, she accepted, climbing on until she was sat in his palm. The next thing she knew, she was cradled close to the Autobot leader as he rose to his full height.

"You know…" she started shyly as they started to make their way toward the freight lift, "I didn't just get an 'A' on my science project."

He let out a lenient hum, gently coaxing her to continue.

"I was picked to go to the Nevada State Science Fair next month."

That actually made him briefly stop in his stride, looking down at her with raised optical ridges. "Were you really?"

She nodded. "Mm-hm."

It may have been her imagination, but it seemed like the blue in his optics became brighter than they usually were as he smiled down at her. If she didn't know any better, she'd almost say he looked proud.

"That is great news, Ellie. Congratulations."

Ellie tried not to let the praise get to her too much, but the heat flooding to her face was working against her. She cleared her throat. "Thanks. And—well, you know, that means I'll likely have to do my project over by the time the next fair comes around. Flowers don't last very long, after all, not to mention parts of the soil that decomposes. I'll need to plant some new, fresh ones—maybe I'll pick something different this time. And I was just wondering, if you'd like…you could do it with me?"

Then she faltered when his only response was a slight tilt of his head at her request. After voicing it out loud, she suddenly lost some of her resolve with the seeds of doubt in her head, looking down in embarrassment as she stammered out her next words, "Th-That is—if you're not too busy and all. B-But if you don't want to, that's—that's fine too. You don't have to—"

She abruptly silenced herself when a set of fingers gently tipped her head back up, where she met Optimus's gaze again. His expression had a subtle hint of amusement in it (she didn't know how she could tell, but she could just see it), but overall, there was nothing but warmth and reassurance as he looked at her then.

"I would be honored, little one."

There it is again.

She had to admit, though, a part of her really liked it—the way he said it and the way he looked at her when he did. It brought forth a warm feeling of comfort and safety inside; a feeling that was a paradox of being both new, and familiar at the same time. In fact, now that she thought about it, she has noticed that she's felt something similar quite a few times around Optimus since meeting him. It was just now fully realized, after having such an honest moment with one another. It was a sensation that no one else has made her experience in such a long time.

Not since before the Incident, that is.

Her lips grew into an appreciative smile at him. "Okay, then. But, uh…do you think we could, maybe, not tell Ratchet?"

"Oh? And why is that?" he asked, but she could practically feel the shrewdness in his tone, giving away that he knew perfectly well why.

She squinted up at him. "Well, we wouldn't want to keep bruising his 'scientific integrity,' now would we?" she replied, making air quotes.

He released one of those quiet hums that could be mistaken for a chuckle as he stepped onto the lift and activated it. "You make a compelling point. Very well, we will keep this between us, although I can't guarantee that he won't find out for himself."

She grinned as she started to relax in his hold. "Fair enough."

---

Optimus was mostly quiet as he crossed the border into Ellie's housing edition—as quiet as he has been through the entire drive over from base. He only spoke when it was needed, particularly whenever Ellie asked him a question that warranted answering as she was discussing ideas for her upcoming new science project. The girl didn't seem to mind, though; she never did, content to do most of the talking on their behalf. And if he was being honest with himself, he was enjoying seeing this part of her. She always looked more relaxed when given the opportunity to talk about something she truly enjoyed, more herself. Sometimes she got borderline passionate (and unless his audio receptors were malfunctioning, the accent in her speech pattern became more concentrated as well), but she was usually quick to rein it back in. It was still a somewhat rare sight to behold, but he was pleased that he was seeing more of this side of her coming through.

That was far from the only reason for his current selective silence, though. But he kept that on the backburner while she was still in his presence.

Eventually, he ended the drive by backing into their newly designated pick-up/drop-off spot: an empty lot that wasn't being used by anyone else, and which thankfully wasn't too far from her home; it was actually at the end of a different street behind her house, with a narrow laneway running between it and her fenced backyard. Ideally, he'd have preferred his original space out front, which was closer and so was a shorter walk for her. But he was also aware that, despite being a 'robot in disguise,' his rather large vehicular form tended to stand out amongst the small suburban abodes. Also, the first time he saw Ellie's grandmother was not the only close-call they had at nearly getting caught since then, and on Ellie's behalf, he'd keep his distance whenever the elder woman made an appearance. So for the time being, this was the better option.

"Thanks, Optimus," Ellie said, unbuckling her seat belt.

In spite of himself, Optimus smiled internally. She always made a point to thank him and any of the other Autobots for providing her transportation. Once when he had tried to tell her that thanks was not necessary, she'd simply replied with a shrug of her shoulders, "It's just polite," and kept on doing it. Of all things she was insistent on, it was that one little thing.

But who was he to deny his charge?

"You are most welcome."

She gathered up her backpack, but her movements grew slower, a thoughtful yet hesitant look overtaking her expression. "It just came to me. Based on what happened with Skyquake, the Decepticons are basically back from hiding now, aren't they?"

"It would appear so. Even with Megatron gone, others will rise to try to fulfill his goals in his place."

Starscream, in particular, he thought, and from what he had witnessed from their previous encounter, it seemed that the Decepticon Seeker had trouble keeping his own ranks in line. Although, that was no cause to take Starscream lightly either; someone who was desperate for a show of power was a more dangerous one to look out for.

Ellie nodded in agreement, biting her lip with that trace of uncertainty returning to her features that was clear as day. "Yeah, and…I guess with them back in action, you'll be, well …"

"Elinor," Optimus said in a tone that was somewhere between stern and gentle, knowing exactly what she was inferring to, "I meant what I said earlier." Then, lightening his tone a smidgen, he added, "As I believe the saying goes, 'you're not getting rid of me that easily.'"

After a fleeting show of bewilderment, a laugh escaped her as she murmured, "You got me."

If his spark happened to thrum at the scarce but endearing sound, that was between him and the Matrix.

She opened his passenger door, hopping down the steps. "Good night, Optimus! See you tomorrow!" she bid him with a final wave as she walked briskly across the way toward her house.

"Good night, little one," he returned, though he was unsure if she heard him, already opening the gate to her backyard and disappearing into the other side, where she was immediately greeted with the excited whining of a canine. It took him a while to get used to the variant sounds of animal life coming and going from her residence, but it was just another one of the more peculiar perks of being acquainted with one of the Barron's. Ellie truly was not kidding when she said that her grandmother had more an affinity for animals than for other humans, taking care of strays before ensuring they are given to more permanent homes.

"Hey, girl, did you miss me?" he heard Ellie's voice say in answer to the dog's call for attention, followed by the sound of another door softly opening and closing, and then silence.

Once Optimus was certain that she was secure in her home, and that he was finally alone, a heavy sigh escaped his vents as his form sank a little on his tires, his thoughts now freely reeling.

By the Allspark, how did this human sparkling keep surprising him?

His processor kept replaying the conversation from the top of the silo back to him over and over—what she said, what she hadn't said, the way she looked at him with no judgement whatsoever for his inner confliction and struggle. He still couldn't quite recall what had come over him at the time—what had compelled him to bring up the subject of Megatron to her. She was only a child after all; she didn't need to know of the burdens that he alone carried.

And yet she did know—long before anyone else did, even. And she knew just by seeing him.

He supposed deep down that he should've known. She has proven to him on various occasions how discerning she was, whether she intended to or not. He had caught a glimpse of it when they spoke together after the dark energon attack, but he underestimated the full extent of her rationale until she had talked not just with Ratchet, but with Arcee and Agent Fowler. He didn't know what she said to them exactly, but somehow, she was able to make three of the most willful, headstrong individuals that he knew change their perspectives on whatever problem they had, and instead see reason.

And now, after this day, he knew why. For someone who claimed to not be good at speaking to others, she certainly had a way with words, and when to use them or hold them back. When she talked to him, it wasn't just with sympathy; it was with an understanding that he couldn't quite place—one that felt so off but also so vindicating at the same time. When her hand was in his, it was so tiny, and yet her warmth and softness was the most vibrant sensation he'd ever registered, to the point where he almost didn't want to let go.

He concluded then that if there was one good thing to come from Megatron's passing, it was that Ellie never got to meet him—never got to see the twisted warmonger his former brother had deteriorated into. And in turn, Megatron would never meet the small but intricate creature Optimus had come to know. He would forever be grateful for that.

She was so perceptive, and so intuitive, and so…so wise.

But she is so young.

That was what felt so wrong about it. When he contemplated more deeply on it, even what she had said to him in their first meaningful conversation together—about having the need to help others in any way she could, even at the risk of her own safety; it was about as moving as it was alarming. And he knew that she stood by that claim—that it wasn't all just talk. Not only from what he heard about what she did on the Nemesis, but he saw it in the security footage from the Array. When Soundwave attacked them, her very first instinct was to go straight for Rafael and protect him from initial harm, then put herself between him and the threat and tried to take on Soundwave herself at first. As noble as it was, did she truly have that little regard for her own well-being?

And her face when she talked with him just today, in that single, passing moment. That longing, almost haunted look in her eyes...

What else has happened before then, and since? What else has she done or experienced with this mindset? Did it have anything to do with how she ended up with a prosthetic? Why she was living with her grandmother and not her parents?

Focusing his vision outward, as if trying to see through the household for his unlikely companion, he ex-vented again. Were he in his bipedal mode at the moment, he'd be frowning in concern.

If there was one thing he knew about wisdom, it was that it cannot be granted, it must be earned. And sometimes, it is earned at a great cost.

In that case, Optimus couldn't help but wonder…exactly what price did Elinor Barron have to pay in order to earn such wisdom?

---

A/N- Alternate chapter summary: In which it's confirmed that Optimus basically took one look at Ellie, went "Is anyone gonna adopt that?" and didn't wait for an answer. Those paternal instincts just swept him right up, didn't they?

-Ratchet: "You can't use dirt as a basis for a science project!"

-Ellie: "I'm about to end this mech's whole career."

-Optimus: *Is a helpless but intrigued bystander*

Broke: TFP Optimus doesn't show emotions and is distant simply because he's a Prime/the Matrix made him that way.

Woke: TFP Optimus is hella depressed and traumatized by literal eons of fighting in a war with no end in sight, and has since then lost track of how to properly navigate his own personal feelings. Here man, have a kid who's a metaphorical narrative mirror of you and only sees you as a giant friend/parental figure.

Also, if it wasn't obvious before, I'm writing Optimus under the presumption that, yes, he actually DOES have a sense of humor under that stoic façade. He's just very indirect about it. Like his word choice and tone when he says something witty kinda makes you think, "I can't technically prove that you're messing with me because you sound so sincere so I can't really be mad, but oh I just KNOW you're really messing with me!"

Hooo, baby. How is it my light-hearted chapters end up being longer than my plot-heavy ones? Well, I suppose this would be more character-heavy, wouldn't it? Finally seeing things from Optimus's perspective. Plus getting some more glimpses into Ellie's past, and Optimus starting to pick up on that and going, "This child is so sweet and kind, but she knows way more than she should."

Thank you all so much for reading and putting up with my shenanigans! Hopefully I'll see you again soon, with an actual cute, fun little chapter.